High speed hydraulically actuated device



Dec. 3, 1963 H. D. BROWN 3,112,678

HIGH SPEED HYDRAULICALLY ACTUATED DEVICE Filed Nov. 1. 1961 INVENTOR. f/own RD D BROWN BY W HT7'0RNEY United States Patent 3,112,678 HiGl-l EED fiYDRAULlCALLY ACTUATED DEVICE Howard D. Brown, Star Rte, Atlantic, lowa Filed Nov. 1, 1961, Ser- No. 149,324 4 Qlairns. (ill. 91-342) This invention relates to hydraulically actuated devices, wherein the reciprocating motion is at high speeds, so as to adapt the device for unlimited uses where fast motion is desired. More particularly, the invention deals with a structure of the character described, wherein the device includes inlets and outlets at each end thereof, whereby the flow of fluid in the lines is always in the same direction.

Still more particularly, the invention deals with a cylinder structure employing a valve actuating frame on which the piston of the cylinder is movably supported, the frame including, at opposed ends thereof, yieldable means for cushioning advancement of the piston in the direction of each end of the frame.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference chmacters. The drawing represents a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view through the hydraulic cylinder of the device, with parts of the construction being shown in elevation and parts broken away.

In illustrating one adaptation and use of my invention, I have shown in the drawing a device comprising a cylin der 1, having slightly reduced end bores 2 and 3 forming shoulders 4 and '5. The bores 2 and 3 are threaded to receive closure plates 6 and 7. For purposes of description, the bore end 2 may be said to comprise the upper end of the cylinder and the bore end 3 may be said to comprise the lower end thereof. Both of these ends are generally of the same construction and mounted in each of these bores are valve heads 8 and 9 which seat upon the shoulders 4 and and suitable sealing means is provided, as indicated at 10 and 11. The plates 6 and '7 support the heads 8 and 9 in position at ends of the cylinder 1. At 12 I have shown what might be termed a valve frame, compris ng two rods 13 and 14 joined by end cr0ssmembers l5 and 16 fixed to said rods.

Slidably mounted on the rods 13 and 14 of the frame 12, is a piston or power member 17, the rods operating in bushings 1S and 19 in said member. The member 17 employs, on its periphery, a plurality of ring grooves, in which rings 2! are arranged.

While in some uses of the invention, the member 17 can be freely disposed in the cylinder, in other uses, where action of the member 17 is to be directly trans mitted to a predetermined output, a shaft 21 will be ernployed on the piston and this shaft will pass through a central cylindrical portion on 15 and through a bore 22 in the head 8 and a bore 23 in the plate 6, as diagrammatically shown.

Suitably fixed to end portions of the rods 13 and 1d are cushion springs 24 which act as shock absorbers in movement of the piston or member 17' in the direction of both ends of the cylinder in operation of the device.

At upper and lower ends of the rod 13 are outlet valves 25 and 26, the valve 25 being partially shown in section to clearly illustrate the axial port 27 therein, as well as the radial ports 23, the latter opening into the recessed peripheral portion 29 of the valve. As both valves 25 and 26 are of the same construction, the brief description of the valve 25 will apply to the valve 26, in other words,

on the valve Z represents one of the radial ports and 2? represents the recessed peripheral portion. The valves 'ice 25 and 26 are arranged in ports 3t), 31 in the heads 8 and 9, respectively, and communicating with these ports are pipes 32 and 33 in communication with the outlet or return pipe line 34 for the hydraulic fluid. The pipe 34 can have a flexible tubing 35 at its lower end extending to a suitable receiver, into which the hydraulic fluid is adapted to pass.

On the opposed side of the cylinder is arranged the inlet or pressure line or pipe 36, having a flexible tube end 37 and communicating with the pipe 36 are two pipes 38 and 39, which open into other valve ports 4i and 41, generally similar to the ports 3%, 31, the ports 4t 41 including enlarged annular portions and 43 controlled by cylindrical inlet valves 44 and 45.

It will appear, from the drawing, that the heads 8 and 9 have central recessed portions at their outer ends, as at 8 and 9, which place the valve ports 3d, :19, 31, All in communication, thus the chambers formed by this intercornrnunication between the ports extend to the outlet or return line 34 through the medium of the ports 2'7, 28, as will clearly appear from a consideration of the valve 25.

The head 9 has, centrally of the inner surface thereof, a spring receiving recess 46, in which a coil spring 47 is arranged which operatively engages the cross-member 16. The purpose of this spring is to support the valve in raised or opened position as and when pressure in the line 36 has been shut-off, so that, in the initial starting of the operation of the cylinder, the hydraulic medium can enter the cylinder by reason of the fact that the valve 44 is in open position to, thus, move the piston 17 down Wardly in then moving the frame 12 in a position to open the valve 45, admitting the high pressure medium into the lower end of the cylinder to then raise the piston or member 17, until it strikes the upper springs 24 operating to move the valve 44 into open position and simultaneously closing the valve 45. In the diagrammatic illustration, the device is theoretically shown in an operative position with the hydraulic medium prepared to enter the lower end of the cylinder and raise the piston or member 17, the valve 44 remaining in the closed position during this upward movement, until such time as the piston or member 17 moves the valve 44 into open position and the valve 45 into closed position. In this cycle of Operation, it will be apparent that, when the valve 45 is in its open position, the valve 2-6 is in its closed position and the valve 25 is in its open position so that, in the upward movement of the piston or member 17, the hydraulic medium in the upper part of the cylinder is exhausted through the valve port 38', the pipe 32 and into the return line 34. When the valve 44 is moved into its open position simultaneously, the valve 25 is moved into its closed position so that, in the downward movement of the piston or member 17, the hydraulic medium in the cylinder will be exhausted through the valve port 31, the pipe 33 and into the return 3 3-, 35.

By reason of this simple arrangement, it will be apparent that the piston or power member is utilized in actuation of the dual valves at each end of the valve frame in simultaneously opening and closing the valves at the ends of the frame in the reciprocating movement of the piston iii the cylinder and without any time lost. Therefore, the speed of operation of the device can be exceedingly high. In this operation, it will also be appareat that the oil or hydraulic medium in the two lines is at no time reversed. In other words, there is a constant flow in the pressure line 36, as well as a constant flow in the return line 34.

In uses of the cylinder or device, where the piston rod 21 is eliminated, the device can be utilized in actuation of campers or other devices, wherein reciprocating vibratory actions are desirable.

In such uses, assuming that a fairly heavy piston is employed and the device was coupled with a suitable medium to be actuated, the operation would be substantially as follows. If hydraulic pressure were applied to the lower end of the cylinder, the piston would move upwardly and the downward pressure would be the weight of the cylinder, plus the reaction force to accelerate the piston. When the piston reaches the top of the stroke and is suddenly stopped and started in the opposite direction, the downward pressure would be the weight of the cylinder, minus the reaction force to decelerate or stop the piston. This would be a negative force and the unit would jump or move upwardly.

if the power application were continued, the cylinder would have a downward movement, with a force that would be the sum of its weight and the reaction force to stop the pis-tons downward travel. By proper relation in design of the weight of the piston, the length of stroke and the pressure medium employed, the requirements of any particular application or use of a device of this type and kind can be satisfiedi Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A high speed hydraulically actuated device, comprising a cylinder, valve heads on opposed ends of the cylinder, each head having a pair of valve ports, a valve frame movably mounted in the cylinder, said frame comprising spaced parallel rods joined at end portions by cross-members arranged inwardly of said heads, one rod of the frame terminating at its ends in inlet valves, the other rod terminating at its ends in outlet valves, said valves operating in the valve ports of said heads, a power member movably supported in the cylinder between said cross-members and on the rods of said frame, said power member actuating the frame to automatically move the valve at end portions of the frame alternately into open and closed positions in reciprocating movement of said power member in the cylinder, a single inlet pressure line communicating with the inlet valves at both ends of the cylinder, a single outlet line communicating with the outlet valves at both ends of the cylinder, whereby, in reciprocating movement of the member in the cylinder, a constant flow is maintained in a single direction in each of said inlet and outlet lines, said outlet valves being ported, said heads having passages placing both valve ports in each head in communication, and the ports of said outlet valves being in communication with said passages.

2. A high speed hydraulically actuated device, comprising a cylinder, valve heads on opposed ends of the cylinder, each head having a pair of valve ports, a valve frame movably mounted in the cylinder, said frame comprising spaced parallel rods joined at end portions by cross-members arranged inwardly of said heads, one rod of the frame terminating at its ends in inlet valves, the other rod terminating at its ends in outlet valves, said valves operating in the valve ports of said heads, a power member movably supported in the cylinder between said cross-members and on the rods of said frame, said power member actuating the frame to automatically move the valve at end portions of the frame alternately into open and closed positions in reciprocating movement of said power member in the cylinder, :1 single inlet pressure line communicating with the inlet valves at both ends of the cylinder, a single outlet line communicating with the outlet valves at both ends of the cylinder, whereby, in reciprocating movement of the member in the cylinder, a constant flow is maintained in a single direction in each of said inlet and outlet lines, said heads being sealed at ends of the cylinder, and the ends of the cylinder having closure plates retaining the heads in operative position.

3. A high speed hydraulically actuated device, comprising a cylinder, valve heads on opposed ends of the cylinder, each head having a pair of valve ports, a valve frame a movably mounted in the cylinder, saidframe comprising spaced parallel rods joined at end portions by cross-members arranged inwardly of said heads, one red of the frame terminating at its ends in inlet valves, the other rod terminating at its ends in outlet valves, said valves operating in the valve ports of said heads, a power member movably supported in the cylinder between said crossmembers and on the rods of said frame, said power men.- ber actuating the frame to automatically move the valve at end portions of the frame alternately into open and closed positions in reciprocating movement of said power member in the cylinder, a single inlet pressure line comiunicating with the inlet valves at both ends of the cylinder, a single outlet line communicating with the outle valves at both ends of the cylinder, whereby, in reciprocating movement of the member in the cylinder, a constant flow is maintained in a single direction in each of said inlet and outlet lines, and one of said heads including a spring operatively engaging one of said cross-members of the frame in support of the frame and valve in position for initial starting of the device.

4. A high speed hydraulically actuated device, comprising a cylinder, valve heads on opposed ends of the cylinder, each head having a pair of valve ports, a valve frame movably mounted in the cylinder, said frame comprising spaced parallel rods joined at end portions by cross-members arranged inwardly of said heads, one rod of the frame terminating at its ends in inlet valves in axial ali-nement with said rod, the other rod terminating at its ends in outlet valves in axial alinement with said other rod, said valves operating in the valve ports of said heads, a power member movably supported in the cylinder between said cross-members and on the rods of said frame, said power member actuating the frame to automatically move the valve at end portions of the frame alternately into open and closed positions in reciprocating movement of said power member in the cylinder, a single inlet pressure line communicating with the inlet valves at both ends of the cyl nder, and a single outlet line communicating with the outlet valves at both ends of the cylinder, whereby, in reciprocating movement of the member in the cylinder, a constant flow is maintained in a single direction in each of said inlet and outlet lines.

References (Zited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,355,208 Bassler Oct. 12, 1929 2,840,262 Learmonth et al June 24, 1958 2,890,917 Prince June 16, 1959 FOREIGN PATLNTS 244,306 Germany Feb. 11, 1911 

1. A HIGH SPEED HYDRAULICALLY ACTUATED DEVICE, COMPRISING A CYLINDER, VALVE HEADS ON OPPOSED ENDS OF THE CYLINDER, EACH HEAD HAVING A PAIR OF VALVE PORTS, A VALVE FRAME MOVABLY MOUNTED IN THE CYLINDER, SAID FRAME COMPRISING SPACED PARALLEL RODS JOINED AT END PORTIONS BY CROSS-MEMBERS ARRANGED INWARDLY OF SAID HEADS, ONE ROD OF THE FRAME TERMINATING AT ITS ENDS IN INLET VALVES, THE OTHER ROD TERMINATING AT ITS ENDS IN OUTLET VALVES, SAID VALVES OPERATING IN THE VALVE PORTS OF SAID HEADS, A POWER MEMBER MOVABLY SUPPORTED IN THE CYLINDER BETWEEN SAID CROSS-MEMBERS AND ON THE RODS OF SAID FRAME, SAID POWER MEMBER ACTUATING THE FRAME TO AUTOMATICALLY MOVE THE VALVE AT END PORTIONS OF THE FRAME ALTERNATELY INTO OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS IN RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT OF SAID POWER MEMBER IN THE CYLINDER, A SINGLE INLET PRESSURE LINE COMMUNICATING WITH THE INLET VALVES AT BOTH ENDS OF THE CYLINDER, A SINGLE OUTLET LINE COMMUNICATING WITH THE OUTLET VALVES AT BOTH ENDS OF THE CYLINDER, WHEREBY, IN 